Dear members,

Please find below an overview of the activities of European Bioplastics throughout September 2019.

Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA)

European Bioplastics’s Working Group Regulatory Affairs met straight after summer break on 4^th September and caught up with latest developments on the following priority files:

• Study on Relevance of biodegradable plastics in the Circular Economy:
  • The final workshop of this initiative is planned for 22 October.
  • EUBP received last questions from the consultancy tasked by the Commission and is preparing it’s input to the questions and to the workshop in general.
• Revision of Essential Requirements for Packaging:
  • The final workshop of this initiative is planned for 15 October.
  • EUBP is collecting intelligence on the progress the consultancy has made since the last workshop (June).
  • EUBP will liaise with Europen and ACE with regard to its key points of this file (definition of recycling, actions on compostable plastics, inclusion of recycled content on level playing field with bio-based content).
• Guidelines for eco-modulation of EPR fees:
  • The final workshop of this initiative is planned together with the one on the Essential Requirements on 15 October.
• JRC project on a methodology for comparative LCA for alternative feedstock in plastics production:
  • Rana Pant of the Joint Research Center joined our meeting via a phone conference and updated us on last administrative decisions on the timeline of the project.
  • Originally due to end in autumn 2019, the project has been extended by DG GROW for one more year (autumn 2020). This is due to the constructive criticism and concerns provided by EUBP’s Working Group REGA and Product Group Bio-based.
  • The project will now feature another round of public consultation and also a round of peer review.
• Guidance on the Single-use Plastics Directive
  • This initiative just started in late summer 2019 and will focus on clarifying several points of the Single-use Plastics Directive (Art 12 of the SUP Directive urges the Commission to provide this guidance by mid-2020).
  • This will involve the specification of recital 11 of the Directive, which calls for exemptions of ‘natural polymers’ that are chemically unmodified and occurring in nature (material scope of the directive) as well as a key point for many covered products – the definition of ‘main structural component’ (e.g. relevant for paper products coated with plastic).
  • Furthermore EUBP will address on a product specific level that material innovation should not be blocked by defining recycled content targets for a certain product (e.g. recycled content for bottles; not clear whether only PET bottles are targeted).
  • The first workshop on this project is planned for 18 October.
  • EUBP has formed a temporary Task Force for the SUP specifications called TF SUPSPEC.
  • TF SUPSPEC took up work immediately and drafted the input for the first round of stakeholder surveys (deadline 4 October).
• ECHA initiative on intentionally added microplastics:
  • EUBP reviewed the status of the initiative as the consultation period ended on 20 September. The report at this stage recognises that biodegradable plastics should be exempted and provides well-founded arguments in the Annex to the report. For the time being there was no need to add to the discussion in the consultation.
  • We will continue to monitor this dossier throughout the coming procedural steps.

Furthermore, EUBP provided its input on the Council Conclusions on a Circular Economy via the European Bioeconomy Alliance and together with the association ACE facilitated lobbying measures to mention the concept of circular bioeconomy in the conclusion document.

On 24 September, EUBP organised a breakfast event in the European Parliament together with Slowenian MEP Franc Bogovic (EPP) who is very active in the Agricultural Committee and had been re-elected to the Parliament in May. With 33 participants, including 19 coming from European institutions (Commission, Parliament, Permanent Representations), the result was very positive and our MEP host offered to host another event later this year. The event focussed on circular economy and bio-based plastics as well as the role of biodegradability. It was thought as an introduction event to new MEPs and an update event for those re-elected as well as stakeholders from the Commission involved in the range of projects described above.

With regards to the Parliament, EUBP also started its contact programme meeting ‘old’ contacts and newcomers from its key Committees Environment and Agriculture.

On national level, EUBP was involved in the consultations of the German Ministry of the Environment regarding its Circular Economy Law (KrWG) implementing some rules of the waste legislation as well as some provisions of the Single-use Directive.

Furthermore, WG REGA and PG Bio-based TF3 have teamed up to draft a paper explaining the use of bio-based feedstock for plastics production. This paper shall be the basis for further engagement with EU institutions and also NGOs in the coming months and in 2020.

Meetings in September relevant to the initiatives pursued comprised e.g. the associations EURIC in Brussels and the BDSI (Federal association of German Sweets Packaging producers) in Bonn.

For detailed information on the work of the WG Regulatory Affairs, please contact Kristy-Barbara Lange (lange@european-bioplastics.org).

Product Groups

Product Group Bio-based and Product Group Biodegradables

Katharina Hinse recently took over the PG Bio-based and Biodegradables from Constance Ißbrücker, who went into maternity leave.

For more information regarding bio-based and biodegradable plastics including sustainability issues, Seedling certification and the work of the PGs and TFs, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Working Group Standardisation

Katharina Hinse also recently took over the WG Group Standardisation from Constance Ißbrücker, who went into maternity leave.

For information on standards for bioplastics, current standardisation processes, and certification of bioplastics, please contact Constance IßbrückerKatherina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Communications

Please find at the following link a selection of relevant media clippings from August/September 2019.

In September, EUBP published a press release in response to a FEAD position paper on bio-based and biodegradable plastics. The press release responded to several false and misleading assumptions on bioplastics and was picked up by various outlets in specialized media.

In the run-up to this year’s K-Fair, we updated several fact sheets, position papers and brochures and are currently working on the following position paper:

• Bioplastic carrier bags.

The WG Communications’ video project was completed with the members’ final approval during the last conference call (19 September). EUBP is now elaborating media activities to successfully publish the video.

EUBP and WG Coms members were actively engaged in this year’s Bioplastic Week organized by US Plastics (September 23-27). Several of our tweets and graphics were picked up and re-tweeted. EUBP was also mentioned in a video statement by US Plastics. Click here for an overview.

For more information or questions concerning the communications activities of EUBP, please contact Oliver Buchholz (buchholz@european-bioplastics.org).

Events

In September, all Speaker Proposals have been assessed. We have started contacting all potential speakers in order to create a program for the 14^th conference on the 3/4 December 2019 in the Titanic Chaussee Berlin.

In addition, we are happy that over 50 percent of our exhibition space is already sold out.

Furthermore, we are happy to announce and to introduce to you our sponsors for this year. These are BASF, BIOTEC, BEOBOTTLE, SILBO, SUKANO, and NatureWorks. EUBP was also able to establish an additional media cooperation with Transglobal Events.

We are currently also in our last preparation for our exhibition at the K-Fair (Dusseldorf 16-23 October). The EUBP booth is located at Hall 7a - B10.

If you would like to discuss sponsorship to promote your brand through the European Bioplastics Conference, exhibit your products and services, or otherwise be involved, please get in touch with our new Event Manager Hannah Heimann (conference@european-bioplastics.org).

Planned activities

WG Regulatory Affairs:

• Final input to Eunomia study on ‘Relevance of biodegradable plastics in a Circular Economy’, preparation of workshop on 22 October
• Preparation of position with TF SUPSPEC as input for workshop on SUP Directive on 18 October
• Liaison with ACE and Europen in preparation for workshop on Essential Requirements on 15 October
• Revise discussion paper on feedstock for bioplastics;
• Start planning next EP event on standards and labelling for end of November 2019

Communications:

• Organization of media activities around EUBP video on bioplastics
• Further improvement of coms network, e.g. during K-Fair, and development of knowledge on bioplastics
• Preparation of EUBP presentation on bioplastics during Eurofin workshop in Hamburg (14 November)

If you have any suggestions regarding the content and/or format of our monthly report, please do not hesitate to share them with us.

This email is sent to all the contacts of our member companies that we have registered in our database. If you would like to share it with further colleagues, kindly send us an email to members@european-bioplastics.org.

Kind regards,
Hasso v. Pogrell